rules

[damo]

What were the rules in your house when you were growing up?

 

[tc]

Oh goodness, where to start.

A lot of rules were at the dinner table. No elbows on the table. Don't sneeze. If you had to sneeze, ask to be excused, then leave the table and sneeze. However, you're only allowed to leave once a meal. If you break that rule, you leave the table for good. I had bad allergies, needless to say, I missed a lot of meals. Actually, these were my father's rules, so my mom would bring me a sandwich when he was watching tv. Don't talk unless addressed by an adult first. Reply with your mouth empty. Don't slouch. When chewing, put your hands in your lap.

Other household rules. You can't go to bed unless all dinner dishes were done and kitchen cleaned. My sisters and I made the mistake of letting a pot soak, and forgot about it. We were rudely awakened late at night so we could get up and finish our job. Always address your father with sir and mom with ma'am (my mom hated that). May I, not, can I. When guests are over, sit and entertain them (that would be talking when talked to) and don't leave the room until given leave.

Can you tell my father was a tyrant? He divorced my mom when I was 10. At the time I was devastated, but I think we were far better off in hindsight.

I'll post more if I think of them.

 

[newmousecateer]

My brothers were not allowed to beat the crap out of me at the dinner table. They had to wait until we got up. We had a bedtime we had to adhere to, and I was only allowed to call out "driiiink" (for a drink of water) 50 times a night. Dad would get tired after that. We had to help with the dishes. They were done in no time after we fought over who would wash and who would dry, which would take about an hour. We had to behave afters school since Mom and Dad both worked. They found out we didn't really behave after my brother locked me out of the house and my grandmother (who lived on the next block could hear me screaming at my brother). We had to be up by a certain time on Saturdays to help with housework. If we didn't get up on time Dad would blast marching music on the stereo.

Somehow (through love and discipline) we all grew up to be respectful, polite and loving people.

 

[jx3smom]

It seemed our rules changed all of the time. I could not have a boy in my room(I agree), I could not call a boy, I had an 11PM curfew even my senior year, I could not go out on weeknights, I had to wear a dress or skirt to school. I could go on and on. I was the oldest so they were pretty strict with me.

 

[EROS]

My female visitors had to be dressed...........when OUTSIDE of my room .........

 

[beachbunny]

No t.v. on school nights (Sun. through Thurs.). When we entered the dawn of the internet age, we also couldn't surf (unless school related) on school nights. At the time these rules seemed harsh, but with hindsignt, they freed up time to do other things like outdoor activities and reading.